Most of the last two weeks has been spent un-writing this column. I know that sounds dumb, but it is an accurate description of the process.

I find that when I am passionate about something, excited to distraction, chomping at the bit to share my Joy of Discovery with any and all who will listen, I tend to go off like a 6 year old with a wagon full of water balloons and a neighborhood full of targets. …and that seems to lessen the impact, the joy, the pleasure, and turns delight into a chore. The solution is to pare it down, hit the highlights, and not bore you, Dear Readers, and in so doing, whet your appetite and get you as excited as I am without belabouring my point. Even so, I KNOW I have gone on too long again….

Excitement, elation, anticipation (with a dash of skepticism) followed by heartbreak, letdown, expectations and hope dashed….all in the span of 24 hours. Sound dramatic? It was actually. (It’s that emotional 5-year-old inside me) Cause? For the first time in my career as a photographer a selection of my photographs were about to be published in a national newspaper…the Toronto Star! Skepticism? The photo credit. It began with vagaries followed by a number of confirmations (not without some prodding at my end) letting me know everything was well in hand. Well…..you can guess the rest. I opened the paper and my name was nowhere to be found, but someone else’s was…..

Well…..I’m sick and wide awake at 2am, coughing…. I refuse to bow down to the Spirit Virus. I will not yield to the scourge that is coursing through my system…my eyes, my nose, my body. I will not lie down on the Altar of Kleenex. I reject this damnable cold…. (it’s amazing what your brain comes up with at 2am). I am in denial but it’s not working. So, with a box of Kleenex, a cup of tea and enough ibuprofen in my system to kill an elephant, I power on. Homemade soup comes later.

Editor’s Note – Originally posted on January 21st 2015, this column bears repeating. Proud to say our track record is pretty good for sniffing out greatness in a sea of popular, financially successful mediocrity, but the continued confusion regarding the differences in worthiness and rose-coloured glasses steeped in nostalgia, needs to be addressed. When it comes to Greatness, consider the majority of what you hear on terrestrial radio as nothing more than Alternative Fact.

Well…..here it is already…..2017! Blink and both Christmas and New Year’s Eve are over, a fait accompli. Phffft….gone! Tout fini! Finito! Done and dusted! ….and here we are…. Has much changed? No, not really. Resolutions? Nope. Heading to the gym? Not on your life!!! The dance floor suits me just fine. Focus? I’m working on it. Oh look, a shiny thing……

I want to tell you about four musicians— people, really— but I don’t know if I can. Oh, I could tell a few stories, wrangle up some comments and maybe tell you about their music, which is more than likely what I will attempt to do, but I will not be able to really tell you anything about them. Does a resume ever say anything about the person? I don’t think so. But it may be the place to start.Continue reading →